Padlock



INVENTOR WW ATTORNEY J g: x 4.1m

March 5, 1935.

, v c. LEDlN ,PADLOGK Filed May 4, 1929 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 v UNITEDSTATES WPADLOCK Charles Ledin, Stamford, Conn., assignor. to Th 'Yale &Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamy V ford, Conn.

Application May 4, 1929, Serial No. 360,495

6 Claims. (0170-108) This invention relates to padlocks, more especiallypadlocks of the type having a die cast casing and a cylinder plugadapted to control the internal locking mechanism.

One of'the objects of this invention is to so design the padlockthat thecasing can be die cast completely in its finished form, without thenecessity of any subsequent machining, drilling, or fabricating of I anysort. Another object of the invention is to so design the lockingmechanism that it may be inserted into the padlock casing with a minimumof effort and without the use of complicated assembly tools. A furtherobject of the invention-is to design a shackle retainer'which isrendered inaccessible when the padlock mechanism is assembled.

' For a more detailed and accurate description of my invention, Iwill'refer to the drawing, wherein Fig. lis a section of my padlockshowing the internal locking mechanism and the shackle retainer with theshackle in locked position. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. v1 along theline 2-2 showing the relation of the padlock shackle to the lockingbolt. Fig. '3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the shackle in itsreleased position. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but along line 4-4of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end,.-side, and front view of the cylinder plug.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my bolt controlling plunger. Fig. '7 isa perspective view of my locking bolt. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectivelytop and bottom mechanical views of the lockin; bolt.

Referring more particularly to thedrawing, it will be observed that mypadlock casing is equipped with a bore 11 which is adapted to contain arotary shackle locking bolt 12 and the cylinder plug 13. The cylinderplug 13 is of the u'snal sliding tumbler type, but may be of any otherdesirable type, such as a warded plug. In the particular modification,this cylinder plug 13 is equipped with a wire retaining member 14 whichis adapted to rest in a groove 15 of the plug. This retaining member 14is adapted to spring into a slot 16 in the plug bore 11 to retain theplug within the bore after it has been inserted to its full extent. Theplug is further equipped with a cam 17 which is adapted to actuate therotary shackle bolt 12 in a manner to be described presently.

Leading into the plug bore 11 is a second bore 18 which is adapted tocontain the nose of the padlock shackle 19 and the bolt controllingplunger 20. This bolt controlling plunger 20 is drilled at the point 21for the accommodation of a spring 22 which is normally adapted to urgethe plunger inan upward direction.

The padlock'casing hasstill a third bore 23 which is adapted'to containthe lo'ng'leg of the padlock shackle 19; In order to retain the shackle"within the padlock casing, I V have equipped the casing with acommunicating'bore 24 which lies angularly between the two'bores '11 and23. Resting in this bore is a retaining bolt 25 equipped with an angularhead 26 which is adapted'to cooperate with'a cut-away portion 27 of theshackle 19} The head of the bolt 26 is angular'with respect to the bolt,so that'it may rest in a substantially horizontal position and present asquare surface to the protruding portion 28 of the shackle 19. It willbe readily seen that when the padlock shackle is released at its nose,the shackle ejecting spring 19' will normally urge the same. upward tothe position or Fig. 3, so that the head 26 of the retainer bolt 25 willcontact with the portion 128 to maintain the shackle withinthe casing. 1

For locking the 'shackle l9 within the casing, I employ a rotary lockingbolt 12 shown more particularly in Fi 7, 8 and 9. This rotary bolt isequipped with a lockingnose 29 adapted to enter the cut away portion 30of the nose of the shackle. This boltis drilled out to form a bore 31,this bore 31 cooperating with the upstanding lug 32 of the plug joore 11to provide a bearing surface for the rotation of the bolt. The bottom ofthis bolt bore 31 is equippedwith'a slot 33 and the lug portion 32is'equipped with a similar slot 34. A spring 35 has its two ends restingrespectiyely in these two slots 33, 34' in the lug and the boltg-and aswill be readily'seen, will be adapted to urge the bolt into a lockingposition when suitably compressed. The bolt 12 *is further equipped witha cut-away portion 36 which is adapted to'permit assembly ofthe bolt byavoiding an obstruction 3'7, on the bolt controlling plunger 20 whoseutility will be explained later.

In order to liberate the padlock shackle 19, the bolt 12 is cut away atthe point 38. It will be readily understood that when this cut-awayportion is brought opposite the cut-away section 30 of the shackle, thatthat shackle will be released and be permitted to spring upward. In itsoperation the bolt will be controlled by the plunger 20 which has theoutstand'mg lug 37 cooperating with the cut-out portions 39 and 40 ofthe bolt 12. When the bolt is in the locked position of Fig. 1 thisoutstanding portion 3'? will be spring pressed against the section 39.When the bolt is rotated iromthe position of Fig. 1 to the position ofFig. 2, the cut-out portion 40 will be brought opposite the lug 37 andthat lug will spring upward into this section 40 to maintain the bolt inthe position of Fig. 2 against the force of the spring 35.

In order to actuate the bolt 12, I provide the same with two upstandinglugs 41 and 42. These lugs are actuable by the cam 17 of the plug inorder that the bolt may be rotated from a locking to an unlockingposition. The configuration of these portions 41 and 42 is such however,that a lost motion is present between the plug and bolt and permits theplug to be returned to its looking position while the bolt is left inthe unlocking position of Fig. 3. Moreover, by cutting away the plug forthe upstanding portions 41 and 42, I am' able to permit the bolt 12 tohave a bearing on the top surface 43 of the plug 13. In this way, theupstanding lug 32 and the top portion 43 of the plug are adapted to actas bearings for the rotary locking bolt 12.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the key is insertedinto the plug 11, it rotates the same and by means of the cam 17cooperating with the lugs 41 and 42, rotates the bolt 12 from theinitial position of Fig. 1, wherein the nose 29 cooperates with thecut-away portion of the shackle 30, to the releasing position of Fig. 3.The shackle 19 will be sprung upwardlyby its ejecting spring 19 but willbe limited by the retaining member 25. The bolt controlling plunger willalso be projected by the spring 22 so that its lug 3'7 enters thecut-away portion 40 of the bolt. This lug 37, by cooperating with thiscut-away portion 40 will maintain the bolt in an unlocking positionwhile the plug is rotated back to its initial locked position, thisbackward rotation being possible on account of the lost motion existingbetween the cam and the lugs 41 and 42. When it is desired to lock theshackle, it is merely necessary to depress the same against theresistance of its spring 19'. The nose of the shackle when broughtagainst the plunger 20, will act to depress the same and to move the lug3'7 out'of the cut-out portion 40 of the bolt. This will permit the boltto rotate in a locking direction and bring its'nose 29 into the cut-awayportion 30 of the shackle to'hold the same in its locked position.

While I have shown one modification of my padlock, and have describedthe same as being of die cast metal, it should be understood that I donot inted to be limited to the same, the scope of my invention beingexpressed in the following claims.

1. In a padlock, a casing having a shackle bore and a plug bore, saidcasing having an inclined passage leading from said plug bore to saidshackle bore, a fixed retaining bolt adapted to be inserted into saidpassage from the plug bore, said bolt having a portion thereofprojecting into the shackle bore, and a key plug insertable into saidplug bore to render said bolt inaccessible.

2. In a padlock, a shackle, a fixed shackle retainer bolt mountedangularly but other than perpendicularly relatively to said shackle, aretaining head on said bolt cooperative with a retaining portion on theshackle, said head having a portion inclined to the axis of the retainerbolt to engage the retaining portion of the shackle, when said shackleis released for outward movement.

3. In a padlock, a casing having a combination shackle and plug bore, akey plug in said bore, a rotary shackle locking bolt super-imposed onsaid plug and resting thereon, whereby said bolt is retained andsupported in said bore, said bolt being concentric with said plug androtatable into shackle locking position, said bolt having a bore, aspring mounted in said bore and connected with the padlock casing tourge the bolt into locking position, and a lost motion connectionbetween said bolt and plug for rotating saidbolt against the action ofsaid spring. a

4. In a padlock, a casing having a combination shackle and plug bore, akey plug freely mounted in saidbore, a rotary shackle locking boltmounted in said bore and resting on the end of said plug whereby to beretained and supported in said bore, said bolt having a vertical bore, aspring in said boregfixed at one end to the upper surface of the plugbore andat the ,other end to the rotary bolt, said spring being adaptedto urge said, bolt into shackle lockingposition, and a connectionbetween said bolt and plug-for'rotating said bolt against the action ofsaid spring.

5. Ina padlock-having a combination bolt and plug bore, an abutment atthe closed end ofv said bore, a rotary bolt having a bearing mounting onsaid abutment, a spring connected between said abutment and bolt forurgingsaid bolt into locked position, a; key plug. insertible into saidbore after said bolt and bearing against the end surface of said bolt tomaintain the-same in operative position relatively to the abutment andbore, operative means of connection between said bolt and plug wherebyto operate said bolt,;and means for retaining said plug in the padlockwhereby to maintain the recited elements in operative association.

6. In a padlock having a combination bolt and plug bore, an abutment atthe closed end of said bore, a rotary bolt, having a bearing mounting onsaid abutment, said bolt having a bore with a groove in its end surface,a groove in said abutment, and a spiral spring having its opposite endportions resting in said grooves, forurging said bolt into a lockingposition.

CHARLES LEDIN.

